TV Series: Ghost Hunters

Scanning through some TV Series, a certain reality format program caught my attention. Its entitled "Ghost Hunters" of the Sci-Fi channel. Its about the group called "The Atlantic Paranormal Society", or TAPS for short, run by the 2 'Roto-Rooter plumbers-by-day' guys, Grant and Jason.

I got to watch the series early on their second season, where they transferred from their make shift headquarters at a trailer in Jason's backyard, to a storefronted office in Rhode Island, complete with equipment vans and a mobile headquarters.

Using various scientific equpment such as surface thermometers, EMF meters, thermal cameras, and an array of digital video and audio recording equipment, they go to a reported 'haunting' and try to debunk it using the evidence they gathered and by finding a rational explanation to what goes bump in the night.

They start by interviewing their 'clients' as to what supernatural events has transpired and where they commonly occur. After leaving their recording equipment in these 'hotspots', they go around investigating the area. After at least 8 to 12 hours of investigation, they retrieve all their data and equipment and review them. They move by process of elimination wherein the staff view and listen to the recorded data and, when they find something strange captured in their recordings, they debate if that piece of evidence is noteworthy or something common or rational which was viewed wrong (i.e., dust, reflections, creaking floorboards, water heater starting, etc...).

In between the investigation, they are some human intrest drama going on which gives the series the documentary - reality show feel to it. They also present some valid deductions or information which makes sense when debunking.

But as the series progresses, the formula of the program becomes boring. Maybe due to the fact that most of the times, its not a haunting that occurs. Maybe its the frustration of seing the investigators seems to insinuate or prove a haunting with certain feelings and observations, like when they said that they can feel the temperature change rapidly, or they smell something different, or when they see a moving shadow at out of the corner of their eye...you expect some evidence to back it up. But in the end, they capture nothing.

Well, as Jason once said, "sometimes they play, sometimes they don't".

Anime: Kamisama Kazoku

Kamisama Kazoku is about the family of a god whose brood are god and goddesses in training. 

The story revolves around Sematarou, who is the only son, and his platonic relationship with his guardian angel Tenko. Despite their rowdy treatment of each other, and exchange of wise cracks, they are percieved as a couple since they are together all the time.



As part of his god training, he lives the life of an ordinary human along with his family of god and goddesses, which creates a big mess for Samatarou and Tenko. Also, the mother and father has a habit of spoiling Samatarou, much to his chagrin as he wants to get things by his own strength. As a god who grants wishes from the heart, he only wants his son to be the best god there is.

Things gets messy when Samatarou falls in love with a human girl, who is a transfer student in their class. Jealousy flares as Samatarou learns the ways of human emotions. But, while living a carefree life, evil works in the background...slowly making itself known as various incidents starts to make sense. Will Samatarou and Tenko's feelings for each other be enough to pull them out of this test?

The artwork and storyline are not that intresting, normal to say the least, but the situations they get themselves into are. You'll stay glued to find out how things will turn out.

A day at the historic Manila Hotel

My whole family was at the Manila Hotel last Saturday at the District Conference ofRotary Club International District 3800. We attend because my father was introduced as the incoming District Governor for RY 2009-2010.

My brother and I walked the infamous hallways of the 8th floor, which was rumored to be haunted. I even brought my video camera along and recorded the whole trek in case it would catch any wandering spirits. The operation was a failure. I did hear a couple quarreling from across the hall.

At the District Conference, there was this energetic speaker. He's a 81 year-old teacher who has been teaching in Ateneo for 54 years. Although I don't give a hoot about those motivational speakers, I found his speech to be very moving. His energy and eloquancy with the spoken word seems to transmit directly to the audience, and he kept me intrested the whole time. Oh, and he's called Dr.(?) Pagsi (did I get that right?).

At lunch time, my brother picked the seafood plate for me.  It was first time to experience haute cusine. I was expecting a large meal since I was going on without food since the night before. It had a chunk of fish meat, 2 rings of squid, 2 shrimps, 3 stalks of broccoli with some sauce on it. It looked beautiful, but I was hungry. CHOMP!! CHOMP!! CHOMP!!

By dessert I was composed enough to appreciate the food. I found the dessert to be cute. It was mango ice cream with a slice of banana, decorated with chocolate, and fruit puree, with ube roll cakes at the side. I hate ube, but the smell of the cakes was so sweet I also ate them.

I was excited to go to manila Hotel for 2 things, the ghost stories and the history of the place. The ghost stories part disappointed me, but the antique furnishings, the smell of wood got me good. I even found an old school thermostat control.

But for me, it was a fun day to spend with my family, my parents, along with all my siblings...just us, like when we were kids. It makes me kind of nostalgic of the times when we were still little.

The San Felipe Biomen (Kuya as Red-1, Jonathan as Green-2, Me as Blue-3, Ditse as Yellow-4 and Ate as Pink-5)

I had a dream...

I had a weird dream last night...

I was riding in the SUV being driven by I-ray's Jamil and Dean was in the front passenger's seat. To my left was an officemate and my wife Belen.

Then Dean started to tell a story about the celebrity who, while driving in the same poorly lit road, came across a white lady (a ghost in a female form).

We all fell silent...

Then, I felt a presence on my right side...

When I looked, it was a head of a woman leering out of the backrest of the car seat.

She shouted " MAMAMATAY AKYONG LAHAT NGAYON!!!!" (You're all going to die right now!!!)

To this I shouted "MUTHERF&#@%R!!!!"

Then the head disappeared and in its place, our guitarist Paulo's wife, Kim appeared...shocked looking at me wide eyed asking why I shouted at her like that.

Kim wasn't the only one who was surprised. Belen, Jamil and Dean asked Kim if she didn't see the head of the woman appear from behind and heard her horrific scream.

Weird...

Anime: Kanokon

My arms still tired from killing all that fish (If you can understand Japanese, read the 'Ore wa hitogoroshi da!!' post), I couldn't go to work the next day, I ended up watching the latest series sent by my officemate.

This time is the love-comedy anime 'Kanokon'. Its about the everyday life and relationship of the fox spirit Chizuru and the mortal Kouta. They are both students of a middle school where humans and spirits interact normally as classmates under the strict rule that the spirits don't expose themselves to what they're really are to the humans. 

The story becomes more complicated with the arrival of the stoic, clueless wolf spirit Nozomu who also fell in love with Kouta.

There are a lot of spirits that doesn't approve of their relationship and regarded it as pointless. But because of the power that comes out of their special bond, the other spirits were proven otherwise.

But don't be fooled by the series' appearance. Although the characters are cutely drawn, there a lot of lewd and topless scenes, mostly derived from Chizuru's lust and wanting for Kouta's body. One of the teachers who is also a spirit, regard this as her being in 'mating season' mode all the time. In one episode, Chizuru says she likes Kouta because for humans, its mating season all year long.

There are a lot of strange but funny things also. A spirit guardian who loves instant noodles, a bear spirit who's into internet and stocks, a weasel spirit in love with a frog spirit. And when the school was attacked by a snow spirit, all frog, bear and turtle spirits began to hibernate.

This is a funny and intresting series so I recommend this to the same people who enjoyed Kannagi. I don't recommend it for the youngins though...